We think it’s fair to say lockdown sucked. But during this frustrating time there have been some wonderful, heart-warming stories including the one we became involved in back in May.
If you aren’t familiar with the ‘Background Bob’ art project we highly recommend you read our article ‘Background Bob art project becomes a positive global movement’ to find out just how wonderful it is.
The simplest ideas are always the best
In a nutshell, it’s the story of a father’s creative idea to entertain a son. An idea that snowballed into something neither of them ever imagined.
The idea was a simple one (the best ones always are), Dad Nathan, encouraged his son Noah, who has Hydrocephalus, Epilepsy and Cerebral Palsy, to paint on bits of card. These were then sent as backgrounds to participating artists who in turn added their artistic touch and sent them back.
The finished pieces were then posted on social media and that’s when things really started to gain momentum…
@_futeks_ 
@dankitchener 
@eelusart 
@marcusjakeart 
@n2o_jo 
@onemoneypiece
As Nathan explains, “When certain well known artists became involved, and the BBC got in touch, that’s when it really started to take on a life of its own”.
Over 200 artists join in the Background Bob project
Since the project started, just 6 months ago, over 200 artists from all over the world have worked with Noah aka ‘Background Bob’ (@background_bob), culminating in the decision to put all the works into a stunning Background Bob book.
When we spoke to Nathan, he explained,
“When the project took off we wanted to be able to give something back to the local Colchester and Ipswich hospital that has helped Noah so much.
The initial idea was to auction off the pieces of art, which will take place in 2021, but we thought that creating a Background Bob book was such a perfect way of showcasing all the wonderful art that’s been created.
We also thought it would be a nice way of saying thank you to the artists and raise more money for the Colchester and Ipswich Charity at the same time”.
Background Bob and his amazing friends
To help make the idea a reality, Angela Parks and her company Articulate Sage very kindly stepped in to assist with the project.
The 230 page book aptly titled ‘Background Bob and his amazing friends’ designed by Tony Stiles, (who has designed for Luke Jerram, Martin Parr and Banksy) is a stunning tribute to all the artists who collaborated with Noah, and we feel honoured to have been a part of the project.
‘Background Bob and his amazing friends’ is now on sale for just £15 plus £5 p+p.
If you want to grab yourself a copy and help raise money for the children’s ward at Colchester hospital then all you need to do is click on this link:
http://colchesteripswichcharity.org.uk/supporters-events/backgroundbob/
